Welcome to ‘The Wider Screen’ a series of endorsements of films in the international sphere of cinema. In the past, I have been guilty of ignoring the potential of non-English speaking cinema and as I experience more international films, I can pass them onto you. Oscar Winning Parasite director Bong Joon Ho stated “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films” and in line with this notion, I hope I can do my bit to introduce you to some of the great international films that I have seen.
From the visionary Danish director Thomas Vinterberg comes The
Hunt, quite possibly one of the most remarkable stories of injustice,
trauma, and the toxic nature of false allegations that you will ever see. Mads
Mikkelsen is Lucas, the kindergarten teacher who is falsely accused of exposing
himself to one of the children in his nursery. What follows is the chaos
created by the spread of rumours and bullying tactics implemented by the adults
of the village to ruin Lucas’ life. All of this without any evidence to suggest he is in
fact guilty. The Hunt displays the issues within society of false
allegations and how they can be harmful to genuine cases of abuse, forcing real
abuse victims to suffer in silence for fear of being dismissed. The film plays
on the idea that a child always reveals the truth and more often than not this
is correct, yet it’s clear in this instance that one side of a story should
never be considered enough to ruin the life of another human being.
Lucas is relatively easy-going; his calm demeanour helps to build a warm and friendly relationship with the children. However, this warmth he shows, only works against him as the tide of misinformation takes hold of his life. Lucas at first dismisses the gravity of the situation, but as the claims become more and more distorted the news spreads like wildfire in the community, turning his so called ‘friends’ against him.
As the overprotective parents collectively take the
situation out of hand, they actually end up coercing their children into making
similar claims of sexual abuse. Of course, the police take Lucas in, but
without sufficient evidence they release him without any charges. You may think
this is a good thing, but society has often proven otherwise. When someone is
accused of sexual abuse, it is almost impossible to shake those claims off even
when proven illegitimate, in Lucas’ case the villagers had already made their
minds up about him, he has been cast away. At this point The Hunt reaches its real focus - guilt.
Lucas is regarded as a convict by his own people; his innocence is no longer important
to them. This is where Mads Mikkelsen takes his gripping performance to another
level, conveying the internal chaos of a man who is being pressed to feel
guilty about a crime that he had not committed, nor had ever happened in the
first place.
The film’s title is very appropriate for the turmoil that ensues,
as an avid deer hunter and lover of venison, Lucas spends most of his time outside
of work hunting with his likeminded peers. However, as the allegations gather
pace, it is clear that the tide has turned, Lucas has now become the hunted.
Like the deer, Lucas hasn’t done anything wrong but once the hunt has begun, it’s
hard to call it off.
Mads Mikkelsen has often made a career out of being a
twisted and memorable villain with his roles in Hannibal (2013-2015) and
Casino Royale (2006) and in The Hunt he is definitely a villain,
not to the audience but to the people in his village. This is where Thomas
Vinterberg generates all of the emotions that make cinema so enthralling.
Anger, injustice, fear, and contempt, you will experience all of these emotions
whilst watching The Hunt. Although this film may be absent of a linear ‘happy’
ending, it will make you rethink the way that we as people jump to conclusions
and long for a ‘mob mentality’ when seeking what we perceive to be justice.
The Hunt is a great example of simplicity working wonders in the form of cinema. Vinterberg doesn’t overcomplicate things with any ambitious cinematography or vivid soundtracks, it’s the simple conventions of film done exceptionally well that allow the brilliant cast to take over and create something memorable.
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